[boost] Macro/Typedef for the biggest integer for template parameters

From: Daryle Walker (darylew_at_[hidden])
Date: 2007-08-31 19:51:28

We've talked about this problem off and on for years now, and I'm 
wondering if we can finally solve it.  Many compilers supply built-in 
integer types beyond (unsigned) long int, but someone told me that 
there's no guarantee that those super-long types are suitable for use in 
a value-based template parameter.  I'm wondering if we can develop 
typedefs, maybe in "boost/cstdint.hpp", that describe the largest 
suitable signed and unsigned built-in integer types that can be used as 
value-based template parameters.  On basically-standard compilers, this 
would be "unsigned long" and "long".  I'm thinking that we could default 
to boost::[u]intmax_t, and #case it for particular compilers after they 
choke on not being able to use "long long" or "__int64_t" in a template. 
  (We could test in advance to minimize hardship.)

-- 
Daryle Walker
Mac, Internet, and Video Game Junkie
darylew AT hotmail DOT com